The Light That You Shine
by Wendy-Chan
Summary: Twelve years before he was unsealed, Inuyasha talked telepathically to a small, orphaned cat hanyou who couldn't even remember her own name. And now, their paths are about to cross again. R&R please!
1. Cat and Dog

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha-Gumi, they belong to the talented Rumiko-sama. But I do own Hikari and if anyone takes her without my permission they shall suffer a horrible demise... mua ha ha...

This story is dedicated to Shelly-chan, for playing the RPG on her forum with me that formed the basis of this story.

This is an Inu/OC fic, but there is also a bit of Kag/Sess. Please do not flame me for writing this.

Okay! shakes head. No more babbling, on with the story!

Chapter I: Our First Meeting

"Take this... your father... would have wanted you to have it..." The dying woman pressed a golden ring the size of a choker into the tiny child's hands. "Listen to me. Tap the ring three times to expand it to regular size and defend yourself with it. You must always survive... for me... for your father... I love you..." The woman smiled slightly and stroked the child's face with a callused finger. "Find someone who will love you more than anyone else and smile for them. Don't cry." She closed her eyes for the last time.

"NOO! Mama!" The little girl's rain-soaked dark red hair hung even more limp than it had been moments before. The pair of brown cat ears that sat atop her head drooped to an all time low. Respecting her mother's dying wish, she held in her tears until she was far away from the woman's body and in a tree. There, she sat on a branch and sobbed her heart out. She was only three years old and on her own, with nobody in the world left. "I will survive, Mama," she whispered to the howling wind and rain. "I will do as you told me. And I'll be careful to hide from the demons on the second night of the half-moon, and..." She listed all the things her mother had constantly reminded her about, falling asleep in the process.

When she re-awakened, it was nighttime. The storm had blown away, down to the south. From her position in the tree, the girl could see the millions of stars scattered across the heavens. "How pretty," she murmured. Her delicate child mind had blocked out the painful memory of the massacre of her village and her mother, and, being only three years old, she couldn't recall anything except vague happy memories of her mother and village before the murders.

She hopped down from the tree and started to roam deeper into the forest, following the trail of light that blazed from the brightest star in the sky. Turning a corner into a clearing, the child found herself face-to-face with... a boy.

He had long, thick silver hair and was wearing a red haori and hakama. But the thing most intriguing to the girl was that there were two small white ears perched atop his head. She brought her small hands to her own brown ears. Up till now, she had thought she was the only one...

But he seemed to be sleeping, pinned to the tree by an arrow.

"Are you okay, sir?" asked the child shyly.

No answer.

"Sir?"

A voice seemed to ring out in the little hanyou's mind. _Do you think I look okay to you, kid?"_

"You look like you're sleeping, but... your mouth isn't moving," she finished.

_You... you can hear me?_

"Yes, very clearly inside my mind."

_Nobody could, or would, listen to me when they got close to the Goshinboku where I am now._

"Goshinboku?" Being only a small child, she didn't question why only she could hear the boy and not anyone else, like he'd said.

_The sacred tree I'm pinned on. _

"Are you all alone?"

_No, I'm not, _he said sarcastically.

"You're not?"

_It's called sarcasm, kid. _

"Oh."

_What's your name? _

"I don't remember..." She looked up at the starlight-illuminated sky. "But what's yours?"

_You don't even know your own name?! _He ignored her question.

"No, is that a bad thing?"

_If you don't have a name, people will call you what they please and the things they come up with for a hanyou aren't exactly nice. _

"Should I chose a name?"

_You ask too many questions, _he grumbled. _But go ahead, chose any name, I don't really care. _

"The light is so nice!" she squealed, looking once more at the stars. "I know! My name from now on will be... Hikari!" she said, as a memory hit her from somewhere that "Hikari" meant "Light." "So what is your name?" she asked again, looking innocently at the boy.

_Inuyasha. _

A rustling in the bushes ended their conversation. "Inuyasha?" asked Hikari of the boy, but he made no more telepathic responses. She hid behind the tree as a hunter stumbled out, chasing a deer, and trotted away on her small feet into the night. "Inuyasha. I hope you wake up sometime for real, Inuyasha."

End Chapter

So whaddya think? Like it, love it, hate it? Please review and tell me what you think. Five reviews and I'll update.

See you next time!

-Wendy-chan

_P.S. _"Shikon Shards and Kitty Tails" is going to be discontinued and taken off, due to lack of inspiration. But the character of Taiki is a lot like Hikari, heck, they even have the same weapon. I'm sorry to disappoint you readers. If I get more inspiration in the future perhaps I will re-post, but for now it's being taken off.


	2. I've Finally Found You

Yay! Thanks to Shelly-chan, Jase-Cole, and Luna the sheikah for being my first three reviewers!

Go read Luna's and Shelly-chan's fics! They be awesome!

Disclaimer: I own nothing but Hikari.

Chapter 2

-Twelve Years Later-

"HA!" Hikari slammed the Ring of Heaven and Earth down on the rat demon's head. With a gold starburst of light, the demon crumbled into dust, leaving behind a sparkling purple shard. "Oh! A piece of the Sacred Jewel!" Hikari exclaimed, scooping it up and placing it in her small pouch. "That makes two bits I've found." She smiled, but the grin evaporated off her face when she heard the footsteps of several people.

"What was that noise, Seiki-sama?" asked a man.

"There's rumors of a demon in the woods..." his master responded.

_Damn, I'd better go. _Hikari lightly took off into the woods.

She didn't stop until nightfall, when she spied a hot spring. _I could really use a dip right now, _she thought, so she stripped off her clothing but kept the pouch tied on, and waded into the warm water. It felt nice on her sweaty skin. Hikari relaxed and breathed in the mineral scent. She had almost fallen asleep when a voice made her nearly jump out of her skin.

"...Poor Inuyasha, he took such a bad hit during the fight with the vapor youkai. I can't believe the Wind Scar didn't work!"

_Inuyasha? _Hikari's mind automatically flicked back to that moment twelve years ago when she had spoken to him, still pinned on the Goshinboku by an arrow. She still remembered the last words she had spoken to him. _Inuyasha. I hope you wake up sometime for real, Inuyasha. _So he was awake now? She couldn't believe it.

Clambering out of the hot spring, Hikari put her clothes back on and hid behind a rock, trying to see if she could pick out some other things about Inuyasha. But nothing else was said about Inuyasha.

There was a splash, as though one of the girls had stood up suddenly. "Kagome? What's wrong?"

"Sango, I sense the presence of a Sacred Jewel shard!" exclaimed the other girl. "It's coming from over there!" She pointed to where Hikari was concealed, behind the rock.

_She can sense the Sacred Jewel shards, _Hikari thought in wonder, as she touched the tiny fragment of the gleaming Shikon Jewel she always wore at her waist in a small pouch.

Sango and Kagome emerged with towels wrapped around their bodies and saw Hikari. "What are you doing here?" Sango asked in a demanding tone. "Why were you spying on us?"

Hikari took a deep breath and said in her best bargaining voice, "I'll _give_ you the Sacred Jewel shard if you let me see Inuyasha."

"Let her, Sango," the girl called Kagome whispered. "The jewel shard she carries isn't tainted."

"All right, then." Sango gave Hikari another suspicious look, and she and Kagome got dressed. "Follow us."

They walked down a short path from the hot spring and reached an old cabin. Sitting inside was a monk, a small kitsune, and a tiny catlike creature. Inuyasha was lying on a straw mat on the dirt floor. He was covered in blood, some fresh, some crusted but other than that he looked exactly like Hikari remembered him.

"I didn't bring enough medicine from my world and there aren't any herbs around here," Kagome said, dejected. "That's why he's like this."

"You didn't need to," Hikari replied. "There are natural healing minerals in the hot spring. I could smell them."

"Really?"

She nodded.

"Shippo, can you do me a favor and bring back a tub full of hot spring water?" asked Kagome.

"Sure!" The little kitsune got up and scampered out of the cabin with a washtub in his hands.

"You didn't introduce me to this lovely young lady, Kagome," said Miroku with a lecherous grin.

"I'm Hikari," she said. Sango was eyeing Miroku warily.

"Ah, Miss Hikari. Since you are helping Inuyasha, could you help me as well?"

"O-okay."

"Please bear my—"

_THWAM! _Miroku was cut off by Sango's Hiraikotsu. "Baka _hentai!_" she muttered furiously.

Just then, Shippo returned, saving Miroku from further pain. He set down the tub full of steamy spring water in front of Kagome, and dug into her backpack for his reward: a giant lollipop. While he was rummaging, a washcloth fell on the floor. Hikari picked it up, dipped it in water and began removing Inuyasha's ruined clothing.

"You don't have to—" Kagome began, but Hikari smiled and nodded. "Yes I do. I met him long before you all did." She told them her fondest memory of twelve years. "Since then, my biggest wish has been to see him again, awake for real."

"Oh, wow," Kagome breathed. "You were only three when this happened?"

"Yeah! If it weren't for Inuyasha, I'd still be a nameless little girl who can't stick up for herself." She gently scrubbed away dried, crusted blood and put fresh bandages on.

Inuyasha woke up to warm cloth on him and kind hands washing his wounds. _Kagome? _He groaned and opened his eyes. Staring at him from her reddish-brown bangs was a cat hanyou that looked vaguely familiar. Even so, he was astonished and the first words that popped out of his mouth were: "Who the hell are you?"

Instead of the angry response he expected from her, tears of happiness swelled up in her eyes as she exclaimed, "Inuyasha! It's really you! Alive for real!"

_Alive for real? _He remembered a vivid dream he'd had, almost right before he was unsealed. A little cat hanyou with the same rust-colored hair and eyes, all alone and orphaned. "_But go ahead, chose a name, I don't really care..._

'_The light is so nice! I know! My name from now on will be... Hikari!'" _

"You... it really happened?" he asked. "I thought it was all a dream. But I could see you, wearing that raggedy, torn green kimono. You called yourself... wasn't it Hikari?"

She nodded. "It's late," said Kagome, cutting in gently. "Let's go to sleep. If Inuyasha is better tomorrow, we'll go back to Kaede's and get some herbs. Miroku, could your friend Hachi give us a lift?"

He nodded. One by one, they lay down on sleeping bags and mats and went to sleep. Hikari had curled up on a pile of straw nearest to Inuyasha.

Despite his wounds, Inuyasha couldn't sleep. His eyes kept wandering, for some reason, to the dreaming Hikari. She had grown up since he last saw her. _Well no duh, _he thought to himself. _It's been twelve years. _Her body, though still scrawny and petite, at least had a few curves, her hair was not neatly cut but roughly chopped and her cat ears were slightly bigger. _What the—_Inuyasha mentally kicked himself for looking at her in such an inappropriate way. He turned red, flopped over on his mat, and determinedly shut his eyes.


	3. Nighttime Discussions

::Nervous laugh:: sorry I kept you waiting so long, guys. I've had so much writers' block! ::Bows:: Gomen ne!

Disclaimer: I own nothing but Hikari and the plotline. Evil-ness to all those who steal!

Chapter 3

Hikari's mind wouldn't let her drop off to sleep. Her ears kept twitching and she tossed and turned. Finally, she sat up and decided to go outside.

It was a full moon that night. The silver orb hung in the sky, illuminated by the thousands of diamond-bright stars that twinkled around it. Hikari climbed up into the tree next to the hut and stared out at the moon.

"Watcha doin'?" A young voice made her jump. She turned around. It was Shippo.

"Oh… I couldn't sleep, so I came out to look at the stars," she replied, gazing at the celestial scene.

"I had to go, and then I noticed you were gone. I thought maybe you'd disappeared or something."

"I wouldn't disappear. Not after finding Inuyasha again."

"You really like him, don't you?" Shippo gazed at her out of eyes more mature than the child he was.

"It's hard to explain," said Hikari gently. "Like I said, I found him bound to the Goshinboku when I was around your age. He taught me the most important lesson of living on your own: don't be naïve. It saved me countless times."

"He saved me too, from the Thunder Brothers," Shippo said. "And I'm sure Inuyasha has feelings for you. I heard him rustling around. He couldn't sleep either."

"I-is that so?" Hikari turned around so the little kitsune wouldn't see her blushing.

"Can't anyone sleep around here?!" demanded a grumpy male voice. Hikari nearly fell out of the tree and Shippo almost let out a yelp.

"Apparently not," she said coolly, as though her and Shippo's conversation had never occurred. _Dammit, how much did he hear?!_

"I'm going back to bed." Shippo gave Hikari a very obvious wink before heading into the hut. She turned red again.

To her surprise, Inuyasha climbed into the tree and sat on a branch near her. "So what _were _you doing?" he asked gruffly.

"Just talking with Shippo. We both had trouble sleeping."

"You're not the only one."

Hikari looked back out at the starscape. "Um… all those years ago… I never got to thank you," she muttered. "I mean… if you hadn't… I would have long gotten killed."

"Feh." He also stared out at the night sky.

"So… how did you finally get freed from the tree?"

"Kagome dispelled the arrow with her own spiritual powers. She was the one with the Shikon no Tama inside her. But then…" He went on to describe their encounter with the crow demon that had led to the shattering of the jewel, and then their quest to gather the shards. After he had finished, the horizon was tinted pink with the promise of sunrise and a new day.

"I owe Kagome a thank you too, then," Hikari said. She yawned.

"I'm going to get some sleep. You kept me up all night!" But he didn't say it like it was a bad thing.

Hikari also jumped down from the tree and went back to the hut. She fell asleep almost immediately.

Nobody noticed the silvery white soul-stealing insects filching information and memories from Inuyasha and Shippo, bringing them back to their mistress. They were all sleeping dead as logs.

-On a not-too-distant hill somewhere…-

"This is new," Kikyo muttered as she extracted the memories and put them inside herself. "A cat hanyou is now traveling with Inuyasha's group. She seems to have a special connection to him. Ah, now I see…" The memory of twelve years past, Inuyasha's real-dream, was played for her as clearly as a DVD. "She will be trouble for me…"

::Dodges bricks:: I'll try to update soon, promise! Thank you to all who reviewed, I'm always so excited to receive them! I'll do review responses next chapter. Seeya soon!

- WendyChan


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